East Asian ancestry map
East Asian (Han) · East Asia (modern reference)
How to read these maps: pale yellow means little or none of the selected ancestry, orange a medium share and deep red the highest values. Each dot is the average of a modern population: hover or tap it to see its numbers. Areas with no samples nearby stay blank.
East Asian (Han)
East Asia (modern reference)
Faded dots are populations the model fits less well: read their values with care. Click the map to zoom with your mouse wheel.
Why the Han are used for East Asian ancestry
The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in the world, with well over a billion people across China and its diaspora. Genetically they are not uniform: there is a gradual change from north to south, reflecting the history of millet farmers along the Yellow River and rice farmers in the Yangtze basin, who spread out and mixed over thousands of years.
Han samples from Beijing and southern China were core reference panels of the HapMap and 1000 Genomes projects, so Han DNA is a standard proxy for East Asian ancestry. On this map it measures that broad East Asian heritage.
It is strongest in East Asia itself. Over the centuries, Turkic, Mongolic and other movements across the steppe carried smaller shares of East Asian ancestry into Central Asia, Siberia, Anatolia and eastern Europe, while Austronesian and other migrations spread related ancestry into Southeast Asia.
In our model, East Asian ancestry peaks today in Han Chongqing (China), at 100.0%, followed by Han Fujian (China) (100.0%) and Han Fujian Fuzhou (China) (100.0%). All ten highest values come from China. It reaches at least 5% in 533 of the 1,998 populations on the map, and at least 20% in 389 of them. On the world scale the colours run from 0 to 97.6%, the level reached by the top 2% of populations, so the deepest red marks the real hot spots.
Where East Asian ancestry peaks today
| # | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Han Chongqing China | 100.0% |
| 2 | Han Fujian China | 100.0% |
| 3 | Han Fujian Fuzhou China | 100.0% |
| 4 | Han Hunan China | 100.0% |
| 5 | She Fujian Ningde China | 100.0% |
| 6 | Tujia Chongqing Youyang China | 100.0% |
| 7 | Han Guangdong Guangzhou China | 99.8% |
| 8 | Gelao Guizhou Wuchuan China | 99.6% |
| 9 | Han Zhejiang Hangzhou China | 99.5% |
| 10 | Mongol Guizhou Bijie China | 99.5% |
Averages of modern populations, modelled with 17 reference sources. Tap a name to find it on the map.
The 17 ancestral sources
About these numbers
These maps show model estimates for population averages, not ethnic labels and not the result of any one person. Each source stands in for a wider ancestral population, and ancestries that have no source of their own in this set, such as Oceanian or Khoe-San ancestry, are absorbed by their closest relatives among the 17. Populations the model fits less well are shown with faded dots and count less in the colour surface.
Method: Each population average (Global25 coordinates) is modelled as a mix of 17 ancient and modern reference groups with non-negative least squares, shares adding up to 100%. Fit is the distance between the population and its best mix: the lower the better, above 0.06 the mix explains the population poorly. Top lists leave out the few populations these 17 groups cannot model at all (fit above 0.15). Data generated 1 October 2026, 1,998 populations on the map.
Keep exploring
For the full picture of one population, the Population Genetics Atlas has a page for each of hundreds of modern populations, with its ancient make-up and its closest modern and ancient neighbours.
Curious about your own DNA? The free Report Finder tests which of our reports fits your G25 coordinates, before you order anything.
Frequently asked questions
Does Han ancestry on this map mean Chinese descent?
Not necessarily. The Han are used as a reference for broad East Asian ancestry. A share on this map means ancestry related to East Asian populations in general, which can come from many peoples, including Turkic and Mongolic groups that carried it west.
Where is East Asian ancestry highest today?
In our model it is highest in Han Chongqing (China) (100.0%), Han Fujian (China) (100.0%) and Han Fujian Fuzhou (China) (100.0%). These are averages of modern populations modelled with 17 reference sources, so individuals within each population can differ.
How are these ancient ancestry maps made?
Each modern population average, taken from published G25 coordinates, is modelled as a mix of the same 17 ancient and modern reference sources with a non-negative least-squares fit, the same family of method our reports use. The map then interpolates the share of the selected source between the sampled places and leaves areas with no nearby samples blank.
Does a high value mean direct descent from these people?
No. Each source stands in for a broader ancestral population, and the 17 sources are fitted together, so closely related sources can trade shares between them. Read a value as how much of this kind of ancestry the model needs to describe a population average, not as a family tree.
Why are some areas of the map blank?
The colour surface is only drawn within a few hundred kilometres of real samples. Oceans and regions without data stay empty instead of showing invented values. Each dot on the map is a real population average.